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As the shadow clone dispelled, its memories returned to the main body. Karin stretched lazily and said with a relaxed tone, "I didn't expect things to go so smoothly. I thought it would take a lot of effort to convince him to betray his own village."
Karin never doubted the outcome of this mission because if Mujin said it was possible, then it definitely was.
For Karin, her life philosophy boiled down to three principles:
First, Mujin is always right.
Second, if Mujin is wrong, the problem isn't with Mujin—it's with the world.
Third, refer to the first two points.
Mujin chuckled lightheartedly. "My collaboration with Danzo was actually the one I was most confident about. I never even considered the possibility of failure because I knew he would agree. However, our cooperation is bound to be riddled with conspiracies and calculations. Not a single word Danzo says can be trusted. As much as I hate to admit it, compared to us, he's a true legend. When dealing with 'small fry' like us, he naturally believes he can manipulate us effortlessly. In his eyes, he's not cooperating with us—he's merely using us. He intends to squeeze every ounce of value out of us before devouring us completely, bones and all."
Karin thought for a moment, then asked, "So will he try to pull some tricks during this operation?"
"It's inevitable," Mujin replied. "That's why our top priority is to protect ourselves. Everything else is secondary. As long as Granny Chiyo makes her move within Konoha, war becomes unavoidable. And if we wait a little longer, we might even gain reinforcements that Danzo wouldn't anticipate."
Karin tilted her head in thought before asking, "What if Danzo cuts us loose and directly collaborates with Sunagakure instead?"
Mujin countered with a question. "But what reason does Danzo have to cut me loose?"
"Hmm…" Karin pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "You're too full of yourself. He probably just hates you."
Ah…
"Well, there's nothing I can do about that," Mujin shrugged helplessly. "However, Granny Chiyo has no reason to cooperate with Danzo. The diplomatic documents from Fire Country are still in our hands, along with the Fourth Kazekage's body. Danzo himself has no influence over the One-Tail Jinchūriki's fate. Even if things deviate slightly from the plan, there's no need to worry. As I mentioned earlier, Suna's decline alone is enough to spark the greed of other hidden villages, which could trigger another Great Ninja War."
After disguising themselves, the two found a place to stay. Mujin focused on studying the secret technique scrolls they had obtained earlier, dedicating most of his energy to mastering the Grass Style Binding Technique. Meanwhile, Karin began learning the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique.
Two days later, just as expected, Danzo fiercely rejected all of Granny Chiyo's demands during the diplomatic meeting.
In pursuit of his ambitions, Danzo showed no mercy, not even to Granny Chiyo, once known as the Flower of the Ninja World. He presented facts, cited examples, and thoroughly humiliated Sunagakure from top to bottom. Enraged, Granny Chiyo nearly attacked him on the spot, forcing the negotiations to end prematurely.
However, news of Danzo's performance at the negotiation table quickly spread, including detailed accounts of what transpired. This earned him admiration from those who harbored resentment toward Sunagakure.
Unsurprisingly, these details were leaked by Danzo himself. He was beginning to step out from behind the scenes.
Naruto Uzumaki and Jiraiya were no longer in Konoha—Mujin knew they had gone to search for Tsunade. Once matters in Konoha were settled, they would also need to prevent Tsunade from becoming Hokage.
And unless something unexpected happened, Orochimaru would likely be there too—an opportune moment to sell him back his own hand.
Otherwise, tracking Orochimaru would prove difficult. He was exceptionally skilled at hiding; even Akatsuki, who had issued a kill order against him, had spent years searching without success.
Mujin also encountered Sasuke Uchiha, who had grown increasingly sullen since Kakashi moved into the Hokage Building, leaving him without anyone to guide his training.
Watching Sasuke occasionally touch the cursed seal on his neck, Mujin suspected he might soon leave to follow Orochimaru.
While wandering through the streets, Mujin and Karin suddenly heard a commotion around a corner and decided to investigate…
Tying her waist-length blonde hair into a high ponytail, wearing a cap, a vest, and denim shorts, Ino Yamanaka stood holding a microphone, greeting everyone enthusiastically.
To her left was Hinata Hyuga, wearing rabbit ears and blushing furiously, almost burying her face in her chest while playing the guitar. To her right was Sakura Haruno, reluctantly holding a bass guitar, her lips twitching as she gave up resisting. Behind them sat Choji Akimichi on the drums, continuously stuffing chips into his mouth. The keyboardist position remained empty, but it was obvious who it belonged to—Shikamaru Nara.
"Hello, everyone~~~ I'm Ino Yamanaka, an idol trainee with only two-and-a-half days of practice under my belt. I specialize in singing, dancing, and acrobatics. Today, I'll perform a new song for you… Eh!? Dad!? Why are you here? No, don't grab me! Let me go! I'm not sick! I'm saving the village——!!"
With a dark expression, Inoichi Yamanaka hoisted Ino onto his shoulder and carried her away…
Karin tugged at Mujin's sleeve and pointed at Ino, saying, "Big brother, big brother, I want that."
"…"
Mujin didn't know what to say. Even though she already had Shukaku Jr., he couldn't tell whether she was being fickle or staying true to her feelings.
"Wait until she goes to battle…"
He then turned his gaze toward Hinata. You should hurry up and go to battle too. Faster, faster…
The two dispersed along with the rest of the crowd.
A gust of wind swept past the stage, carrying a few leaves, leaving only Sakura and the others still standing there awkwardly.
Sakura apologized to Hinata with a guilty look. "Sorry for letting you join that silly woman's antics."
"Ah, n-no, it's okay," Hinata quickly removed the rabbit ears, her face still flushed red. "I'm happy to have friends invite me to hang out."
Sakura glanced at the empty keyboardist position and asked Choji, "Shikamaru didn't come today?"
Choji shoved another handful of chips into his mouth. "Yeah, the medical team said his dad's physical condition is perfectly healthy, so his continued unconsciousness might involve something spiritual. Shikamaru went to the library to see if he could find anything."
Choji hesitated briefly before adding, "Shikamaru's not doing well. He's pushing himself too hard. Ino's antics here were meant to cheer him up. She's not really sick—it's just that Shikamaru hasn't been around."
Hearing this, Sakura sighed. "Everyone's having a tough time. My house got blown up, and my parents' mortgage isn't paid off yet. But luckily, the village promised partial compensation. I just don't know when we'll receive it."
Finishing her sentence, Sakura looked up at the sky and muttered aimlessly, "Kakashi-sensei isn't here either, and Naruto and Sasuke have disappeared somewhere. What will become of my life?"
Over the next two days, Mujin received information from Danzo regarding Gaara's location and the guard schedules. Of course, there were minor hiccups along the way—Danzo wasn't exactly an honest collaborator.
Afterward, Mujin shared this intelligence with Granny Chiyo, who had entirely given up on negotiations, advising her to wait a few more days. Perhaps their side could find new reinforcements.
And then, three days later—just as Mujin was starting to lose hope—his target finally appeared…
Whoosh! Two figures clad in red-cloud robes landed atop Konoha's walls.